1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a polymer concrete structure and method and refers more specifically to a thermoplastic polymer concrete structure constructed from contaminated, otherwise unusable, unrecyclable scrap plastics, produced by mixing the contaminated scrap plastics with selected fill material, heating the plastics to permit mixing of the fill material with the plastics, and solidifying the mixed plastic and fill material in desired mold forms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past polymer concretes have been known and have had some success as building and flooring materials. The polymer concrete structures of the past, however, have been expensive due to the use of virgin plastics or clean plastic scrap. Both virgin plastic and clean plastic scrap has become particularly expensive so that polymer concrete is currently not being used as widely as it might be if the price were lower.
Further, contaminated plastic scrap has become a disposal problem in many areas. Thus, automobile trim plants and the like have literally tons of plastic scrap contaminated with fiber upholstery, reinforcing metal and the like, which must be disposed of annually and for which there has heretofore been no known commercially feasible recycling structure or method.
Such contaminated plastics, often referred to as "offal" plastics, have long been considered unusable, unrecyclable scrap plastics. Further, other industries have similar unrecyclable waste materials such as contaminated foundry sand. Such waste materials are again a detriment to the ecology and must normally be carefully disposed of at considerable expense to industry.